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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Owls putting together strong 2022 class

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The 2022 Rice basketball recruiting class is coming together quite nicely with two players already in the fold for the Owls so far.

Head coach Scott Pera and company have returned to Tudor Fieldhouse and turned their focus to the upcoming season. Practice tipped off last week. For the past few weeks, though, the future of the program has been at the forefront of their minds as they look to put the finishing touches on the 2022 Rice basketball recruiting class.

The Owls have assembled a two-man class thus far, drawing from programs all over the nation to find the right pieces for the upcoming class. First came Andrew King, a guard from Arizona who stuck with Rice from October until March when he announced he was decommiting from the program. At that point, Rice had already added another commitment, this time from guard Mekhi Mason.

Mason made his pledge to the Owls in January and has stuck with Rice from that point onward. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is an aggressive scorer who looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. He’s not afraid to attack the rim and should fit in well at #GreenLightU.

The most recent commitment came from Andrew Akuchie. The forward from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida gives the Owls some length in this class. Although he’s comfortable in the front court, he’s able to score from multiple levels and moves fluidly up and down the court.

Once they sign and become official, those two will be available to help the Owls on the court for the starting of the 2022 season. They’ll follow a 2021 class that includes transfers Carl Pierre and Terrance McBride, as well as freshmen Jaden Geron, Damion McDowell and Jackson Peakes.

Given the turnover and uncertainty that surrounds college basketball today, it’s entirely possible, if not likely, the Owls add at least one more to this class before it’s finalized. For now, it’s a very good start.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Forward Andrew Akuchie commits to Owls

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The 2022 Rice basketball recruiting class added one more to their numbers this week, picking up a commitment from versatile forward Andrew Akuchie.

After retooling the roster prior to the 2021 season, the 2022 Rice Basketball recruiting class was likely slated to include a handful of players. The longest-tenured commitment comes from guard Mekhi Mason committed in January. Now, with the summer winding to a close, Rice adds the first forward in the 2022 class: Andrew Akuchie.

Akuchie hails from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Like King and Mason before him, this out-of-state product should fit in well with the Owls’ fast pace offensive style. Akuchie mentioned the Owls’ tempo and willingness to push the ball in transition was something he was particularly excited to be apart of when he gets to campus, mentioning Pera’s willingness to let his players make plays. “Anyone can push the ball in transition,” Akuchie said.

On the court, the fit makes a lot of sense. The 6-foot-8 forward can hold his own inside and has the ability to score from different levels of the court. Aligning him with the quick-trigger guard play already on campus will add an extra dimension to the Owls’ offense.

At the time of his commitment, Akuchie picks Rice over offers from Albany, Lafayette and Canisius. All four programs had offered Akuchie over the summer, Albany first in early May and Rice coming not long after in mid June.  Princeton and Holy Cross were in the running down the stretch, but after some time to get to know the staff and get a better feel for Rice, Akuchie had seen all he needed to see to make his decision.

“The coaching staff [is] supportive,” he said, adding it was evident that the coaches “care a lot about their players.” That familial atmosphere was important for him. And now he’s set to be a Rice Owl.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Terrance McBride commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice basketball recruiting class has added another significant piece. Cornell transfer guard Terrance McBride has committed to the Owls.

One more member of the 2021 Rice basketball recruiting class is officially on board. Terrance McBride, a combo guard from Cornell, will transfer to Rice. McBride did not play last fall or this spring as the Ivy League opted to not participate in basketball competitions this season.

When he was on the court, McBride averaged 12.7 points and 3.2 assists per game, second most on the team. He seldom came off the court, averaging 32.9 minutes per game. Having a ball handler to pair with dangerous shooters like Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee could take an already dangerous offense to another level next season.

McBride is a facilitator who will set others up for success. The audio is a bit off on the clip below, but this play showcased some of his decision making and vision on the court.

As things currently stand, Rice only has two seniors on its roster, both graduate transfers in Ege Havsa and Tre Clark. The Owls will still be young next season. When McBride is eligible to play, he’ll presumably join Payton Moore and Chris Mullins as the elder statesmen on the roster. Beyond that pair, the team primarily consists of underclassmen.

Diversifying classes with veterans and younger players was an important takeaway from the Owls’ roster churn in previous years. Rice doesn’t want to become dependent on the Transfer Portal. That said, they’re going to have to adapt to that aspect of recruiting in today’s game. McBride is a positive development on that front.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Mekhi Mason commits to Owls

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Rice basketball recruiting is finding success off the court while the Owls win on it. Guard Mekhi Mason has committed to the Owls.

It’s been a great couple of weeks for Rice basketball. The Owls started off their 2020-2021 season with a 9-3 record, including an impressive 3-1 start in conference play. They entered the weekend tied for the most wins in the conference.

But the positive moment wasn’t limited to the court. Rice basketball recruiting was gaining momentum, too. As the Owls excelled on the hardwood they also bolstered their future with the commitment of 6-foot-5 guard Mekhi Mason from AZ Compass Prep School in Arizona. Mason also had offers from Grand Canyon and North Carolina A&T.

Mason is the second commitment in the 2022 class. Andrew King, a 6-foot-3 guard also from the state of Arizona, pledged his services to Rice last fall. Like King, Mason is a high school junior. Returning to the high school ranks is refreshing for the Owls following an unusual offseason flush with transfers and graduation.

The addition of Mason should give Rice some more length at the guard spot, filling a gap left by some of the departing players. Mason uses that length well, elevating over defenders when he pulls up to shoot while still maintaining an ability to get to the basket quickly.  He’ll fit well in the scheme head coach Scott Pera likes to utilize, making him a great pick up for the 2022 class.

It’s hard to make too many definitive assessments of what rosters will look like next season in the age of the Transfer Portal and in the midst of COVID-19. For the time being, though, the Owls look to be setting themselves up well.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Andrew King commits to Owls

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2022 shooting guard Andrew King has committed to Rice basketball. He’s the first Owls’ commitment of the 2022 class.

With the dust settled somewhat from a busy spring and summer, Rice basketball has secured their first commitment from the 2022 class. Guard Andrew King has committed to the Owls. He picked Rice over offers from Grand Canyon, UC Davis and Northern Colorado.

The 6-foot-3, 160-pound guard from Phhoenix Prep should provide a boost to the Rice offense, which is going to look a lot younger in the coming years. King announced his decision this week via Twitter. He thanked those who helped him get to this point and declared his commitment to Rice.

https://twitter.com/__AndrewKing__/status/1319739172710617088

The addition of King turns the page to the next chapter for Rice basketball’s roster. The Owls might not be on the court yet, but they’ve been working hard behind the scenes. The roster was turned upside down during the offseason. Several newcomers were brought in to backfill for the departures of a few seniors and a handful of other transfers on the way out.

Josh Parrish, Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Ako Adams and Robert Martin are gone. In their place, Rice brought in Riley Abercrombie, Noah Hutchins, Travis Evee, Cavit Ege Havsa, Jake Lieppert and Tre Clark.

A junior, King has some time before he starts putting up shots at Tudor Fieldhouse. Still, it’s nice to see Rice continuing to build for the future. The recent influx makes it likely the 2022 class won’t be very large, but it’s off to a great start.

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